mandarin

PRONUNCIATION:

(MAN-duh-rin)

MEANING:

noun:
1. A member of one of nine ranks of public officials in the Chinese Empire.
2. A powerful government official or bureaucrat.
3. A member of an elite group, especially one having influence in intellectual or literary circles.
4. Capitalized: the official language of China.
5. A citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, that is native to China.

adjective:
1. Of or relating to a mandarin.
2. Marked by refined or ornate language.

"Narendra Modi's real challenge begins once he gets down to the brass
tacks of realpolitik with Obama and the White House mandarins."
The Modi Sales Pitch; Gulf News (Dubai); Sep 30, 2014.

"No one would accuse James Swain of writing mandarin prose; in fact,
he uses language with such blunt force he could be hammering in nails."
Marilyn Stasio; After-School Special; The New York Times Book Review;
Oct 7, 2007.